PRESIDENT Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has submitted the Draft Law on the 2025 State Budget (APBN) along with its Financial Note to the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI).
With a total budget reaching IDR 3,613.1 trillion, the DPR asked the Government to ensure that the budget allocation is used for programs that directly affect the interests of the people.
“The large figures in the APBN should not only be a symbol of pride, but should function as an instrument that truly brings fantastic changes to the lives of the Indonesian people,” said Member of Commission XI of the House of Representatives Charles Meikyansah, on Tuesday (20/8).
Charles emphasized the importance of proper, transparent and accountable budget use.
According to him, this fantastic 2025 RAPBN must really be prioritized for pro-people programs, not only in infrastructure development, but also in sectors that directly affect people’s welfare, such as health, education, and social protection.
In the 2025 Draft State Budget, the Government allocated a budget of IDR 722.6 trillion for education, IDR 504.7 trillion for social protection, IDR 197.8 trillion for health, and IDR 400.3 trillion for infrastructure development.
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Charles reminded that with such a large budget, the Government must ensure effective and efficient management of funds so that the benefits can be felt directly by the community.
One of the biggest challenges, according to Charles, is monitoring the use of the APBN.
He asked the government to strengthen the monitoring mechanism to prevent waste and misuse of the budget.
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Charles also emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in managing state finances, so that the public can monitor the use of funds derived from their taxes.
In addition, Charles also highlighted the ambiguity regarding the increase in salaries for Civil Servants (PNS) which was not mentioned in President Jokowi’s speech.
Given the high inflation and rising prices of necessities, Charles hopes that the Government will immediately provide clarity to the public regarding this matter.
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Charles also reminded about the importance of caution in managing the state debt which has now reached IDR 8,500 trillion.
Although the debt ratio to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has decreased, Charles emphasized the need for an in-depth evaluation of the direction and priorities of development, and to ensure that the debt is used for programs that truly provide maximum benefits to the community.
“The government needs to be vigilant in managing the RAPBN. It must be done wisely to ensure that Indonesia’s debt can provide maximum benefits to the community,” Charles concluded.
Thus, the DPR hopes that the 2025 RAPBN will not only be a big number on paper, but also become an effective tool to improve people’s welfare and realize social justice in Indonesia. (Z-10)
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